Research Article

James Lindley Wilson and Jonathan Monten

The recent US occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan have renewed the debate over whether military interventions intended to impose democracy in a foreign state are consistent with liberal principles. The liberal political tradition within the United States has often been divided over this question. At issue is what place, if any, military force should have in a foreign policy dedicated to promoting goals such as the spread of electoral democracy, respect for human rights, and the rule of law.

James Lindley Wilson is a PhD candidate in the Department of Politics at Princeton University.

Jonathan Monten is Fellow in Global Politics at the London School of Economics.